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Severe thunderstorms passing through area

Cecilia Mauriaca, left, and her friend Fernando Pagliai, a University of Florida grad student in microbiology, look for alligators during a rain storm at Lake Alice on the UF campus in Gainesville Tuesday.

Published: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 12:08 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.

An approaching front is triggering some severe thunderstorms across the area and National Weather Service forecasters expect the storms to continue until at least 6 p.m. this evening.

A flood watch is in effect until 8 p.m. as a result of the line of thunderstorms, which are moving across northern Florida.

Jason Hess said the both Alachua and Marion counties have started receiving heavy rain as the front will start moving slowly over the area during the next six to eight hours.

This afternoon there's a 90 percent chance of thunderstorms across the area, with a 60 percent chance predicted for this evening and again during the day on Wednesday.

Because of all the rain in the forecast, today's high is only expected to reach the mid-80s. In fact, the next day that forecasters believe the afternoon high temperature will reach 90 degrees will be on Friday.

So far this month in Gainesville, there has been 6.81 inches of rain, 2.7 inches above normal for the first 20 days in August. In Ocala, there has been 5.26 inches so far this month,1.2 inches above normal for that same time frame.

Joe Callahan can be reached at 867-4113 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.

<p>An approaching front is triggering some severe thunderstorms across the area and National Weather Service forecasters expect the storms to continue until at least 6 p.m. this evening.</p><p>A flood watch is in effect until 8 p.m. as a result of the line of thunderstorms, which are moving across northern Florida.</p><p>Jason Hess said the both Alachua and Marion counties have started receiving heavy rain as the front will start moving slowly over the area during the next six to eight hours.</p><p>This afternoon there's a 90 percent chance of thunderstorms across the area, with a 60 percent chance predicted for this evening and again during the day on Wednesday.</p><p>Because of all the rain in the forecast, today's high is only expected to reach the mid-80s. In fact, the next day that forecasters believe the afternoon high temperature will reach 90 degrees will be on Friday.</p><p>So far this month in Gainesville, there has been 6.81 inches of rain, 2.7 inches above normal for the first 20 days in August. In Ocala, there has been 5.26 inches so far this month,1.2 inches above normal for that same time frame.</p><p><i>Joe Callahan can be reached at 867-4113 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.</i></p>